When your mind is still as chaotic as mine, your meditation practice can veer from good sessions to bad ones quite haphazardly. Of course, this classification into “good” sessions (where the mind is still and a measure of peace is attained) and “bad” ones (where the monkey totally runs the show) is false, but that’s what it feels like. During one of those chaotic sessions, you try to apply willpower to quiet the mind, which practically never works. Recently I have made great progress in my practice (perhaps) by just not caring any more. I no longer try to control my mind; I just let it do its thing and return to my focus.

Many of us would have been taught to observe thoughts and just let them go. Unfortunately, when your understanding is as insufficient as mine, you try to do that actively. Since I have stopped trying to let the thoughts go, they just go.

Phenomena rise and fall, sensations come and go, and experiences should be observed for what they are – even the great pain that can come from long sessions of sitting. This led me to this blindingly obvious realization: a thought is just an experience. It is not you. It is not to be controlled, or stilled. It will come and go on its own, and you need have nothing to do with it.

What a relief.